An annual PMC MA/MPhil Studentship will be awarded to a UK-based student who qualifies for home student status embarking on master's-level studies in the field of British art or architectural history or British visual culture. The studentship is part of the New Narratives set of funding opportunities designed to increase the diversity of perspectives among scholars within this field.
The studentship is an award of £32,000, and is designed to cover university fees and living costs.
As well as funding, recipients of the studentship will benefit from mentorship and guidance from Centre staff, and from the Doctoral Scholars and Early Career Fellows elected under the same scheme.
The New Narratives scheme particularly welcomes applications from those who are under-represented within the academic field of the humanities in the UK.
This is a one-year academic studentship, specifically designed to support an individual whilst undertaking and completing a MA or MPhil in the area of British art or architectural history or British visual culture understood more broadly, from the medieval period to the present day and across the spectrum of relevant geographical and cultural contexts.
A single payment of £32,000 will be allocated to the successful applicant, in the September of the year they are undertaking their MA or MPhil programme.
The Centre’s Public Study Room will be open to the recipient to use as a working environment if required. The successful recipient will also be invited to attend the PMC’s academic events programme, and to participate in the Centre’s life more generally. Longer term, they will form part of a network of awardees who, both during and after their period of funding, will be affiliated with the PMC and who will be encouraged to use the Centre as a base to meet and exchange ideas.
To apply for a PMC MA/MPhil Studentship, applicants must:
- Either: have applied for or be in receipt of an offer of a place on an MA/MSc programme that enables a sustained focus on British art topics.
- Or: have applied for or be in receipt of an offer of an MPhil place, to work on a British art topic.
- Expect to begin their MA/MPhil studies on or around 1 October of the year in which they are granted the award (deferrals are not permitted).
- Be based in the UK (and thus qualify for home student status).
The choice of organisation in which to take the MA/MPhil is open. However, for MA programmes we would require that the programme clearly connects to the PMC’s mission. We do not offer grants and fellowships in field archaeology, the current practice of architecture or the performing arts. Applications in the fields of photography, performance, film and digital media will need to demonstrate their relevance to British art studies.
Candidates’ research interests in British art, and the expertise available at the nominated organisation, need to be detailed in the application form.
The successful applicant is expected to begin their master's programme in October 2025. Fellowships cannot be deferred to later academic years, nor can they run concurrently with a fellowship awarded by another organisation.
Individuals applying for this award cannot apply for any other award in the same round of funding.
For further questions on eligibility please contact the Grants & Fellowships Manager at [email protected].
Individuals who have already started their master's programme are not eligible to apply.
Applications are now closed, the next round will be Spring 2026.
To apply for this studentship applicants must use our online system at grants.paul-mellon-centre.ac.uk. Once registered you will be able to fill out the online application form (an example of which can be downloaded below), you will also need to provide the details of two referees. Once the application has been submitted, and the references have been received, we will check it to ensure eligibility. All accepted applications will then be read and assessed by our Advisory Council made up of twelve external academics and professionals with relevant expertise (you can find a list of the current members here).
The number of good applications is likely to exceed the funding available, so the Advisory Council are advised to use some or all of the following criteria to help them in making decisions on how best to allocate funding:
- academic rigour
- originality and distinctness in the context of current scholarship
- contribution to scholarship in the longer term
- timeliness, where a project is connected with a particular moment or opportunity
- where a grant would support work in a geographical or cultural context which has not hitherto been supported by PMC
- need, where the research would be unlikely to go ahead without this support
- impact and inclusion, where the research would include voices or reach a broader range of people than have hitherto been represented in the field of British art studies
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We also advise applicants to read our FAQ & Guidance webpage before starting their application, our Grant Making Policy and Due Diligence Policy can also be found there.
Please note that this award is part of our New Narratives set of funding opportunities and is designed to increase the diversity of perspectives among scholars within this field as well as encourage new perspectives on British art and visual culture of all periods so do keep this purpose in mind when completing the application.
Decisions made by the Advisory Council will be communicated to all applicants within two months of the application submission date. Given the volume of applications, we cannot guarantee individual feedback if you are unsuccessful. However, we do try to accommodate specific requests. Please email our Grants and Fellowships Manager to request this.
If you have any access requirements or experience any issues using our online grants system (or accessing and filling out the application forms) then please do contact the Grants and Fellowships Manager who will be able to assist you.
As part of the application form, you will need to provide the name and email address of two referees who are willing to submit a short reference (500 words) for you. The referee should have first-hand knowledge of the applicant’s academic career and/or the subject area for which funding is being sought. The Advisory Council would like to be informed of the originality of the subject matter and the applicant’s suitability to pursue such research. These references are an essential part of our due diligence process, and your application cannot proceed to assessment without them.
Once your application is submitted, an automatic email notification will be sent to your referees with a link that allows them to view your application and submit their reference. They will also have the option to decline the request.
The deadline for submitting references will depend on the funding round, but it is generally between 7-10 days after the application closing date. The deadline date will be clearly communicated to you and your referees during the application process. You will receive an email notification when each referee has submitted their reference. Once both references are received, your application will proceed to the assessment round.
For more guidance on the content of the references, please refer to our FAQ & Guidance page.
Please ensure you speak to your referees before including their details in the application form so they are aware of the reference requirement and the deadline. We also recommend submitting your application in advance of the closing date to allow your referees as much time as possible to complete their reference.
Each round, we encounter reference requests that are not received by the intended recipients due to misspelled email addresses. To avoid delays, please double-check that all contact details are entered correctly when submitting your application.
Successful applicants must submit a 1000-word final written report within two months of receiving their MA/MPhil.
The full terms and conditions of grant awards can be read here.
This studentship is normally expected to be a one-year award. However, should a student be enrolled in a full-time two-year master's programme, the Centre will be prepared to consider the possibility of funding them for the entirety of their course.
Should a student be intending to take a one-year master's course part-time over two years, the Centre will be prepared to consider the possibility of splitting the award over this longer period.
Accessible Formats: There is a large text (size 20) format of this opportunity remit and application form available to download at the bottom of this page. We can also provide large or clear text formats in other sizes upon request. If you have any other access requirements regarding our website or experience any issues using our online grants system then please contact the Grants & Fellowships Manager.
Access Funding: We are committed to making our opportunities accessible to everyone. To support this, we have set aside funding to help individuals who may face additional barriers and as such incur extra costs whilst undertaking their research projects. If your application is successful, we will be happy to discuss how this funding can support your additional needs.